The final frontier

The fact that this iron boat would sink came as no surprise to those who watched it set to sea, but watching the same ship return to the surface from the icy depths was magic. The ship was a marvel of engineering, and the man responsible for her design was a captain without equal.

As a senior bosun’s mate aboard the Nautilus, Elisabeth naturally looked up to Captain Nemo. He was experienced at sea, intelligent, and a natural leader. He was also tall, handsome and laughed with a rich baritone confidence that would turn brass to butter. She was not the first sailor to be entranced by a captain of a ship. The line between loyalty and love is thin, looped with conflicting semantics, but she wanted more than her mere devotion to him. She wanted his respect and love in return.

She had worked hard to rise through the seaman ranks. She had started when she was fifteen, spent ten years on various merchant ships and another two years in Her Majesty’s Navy. The ocean was her life. Elizabeth was proud to be hand-selected for service on board Nautilus. It meant she was extraordinarily capable. However, The Crimson Tunics were the elite squad on the Nautilus. The best of the best. Whenever the captain ordered the impossible, it was the Crimson Tunics who received the call. The mortality rate for the squad was predictably high, but Elizabeth knew the risks. It was a small price for the honor of wearing the shirt.

When the promotion came through and the tunic was hers, she finally felt the captain’s eye upon her; all she needed was an opportunity to shine. So when he inevitably called “red alert” she ran to her station, put on her gear, and eagerly plunged into the darkness.

The water around Elizabeth was cold. A giant squid wrapped its tentacles around the body of the ship. Of the ten Crimson Tunics that were sent out to deal with the monster, only two were left. She glanced over at Richard who looked scared but determined. Elizabeth raised her weapon and motioned him to the creature’s flank. Those who had died thus far did so out of a hallowed duty towards the ship or a vain desire for glory. I, however, am defending his ship so that I might reserve a small place next to her in his heart. What I do, I do for him.